Cigarette lighter construction



May 30, 1967 H. NEWMAN CIGARETTE LIGHTER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June F50, 1965 M e Z M Z W W W 5 y 30 67 s. H. NEWMAN 3,321,937

CIGARETTE LIGHTER CONSTRUCTION Filed June 30, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y/VVE/VTOI? 57.44145) A/EWMAM/ United States Patent 3,321,937 CIGARETTE LIGHTER CONSTRUCTION Stanley H. Newman, Schwartz & Frohlich,

19 E. 70th St., New York, NY. 10021 Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,333 Claims priority, application France, July 2, 1964, 980,448 2 Claims. (Cl. 677.1)

The present invention relates to improved cigarette lighters of the type using liquefied gas for a fuel, and, more particularly, to an improved retractable shut-off system for the flame outlet of such a lighter.

A gas lighter of the present invention is of the general type which comprises an outer housing of clean smooth lines of any desired shape, for example, flattened more or less oval or elliptical cross-section, including a tank containing liquefied gas, a burner, a gas outlet valve arranged between the tank and the burner, a lever for the opening of said valve, a knurled wheel in contact with a flint to produce sparks in order to ignite the gas and an actuating push lever, which one depresses in order to turn the knurled wheel and open the gas outlet valve. A flame orifice for the emergence of the flame is provided above the burner in the upper part of the housing which entirely surrounds the burner, so as to form a wind guard.

In lighters of this type, dust can enter through the flame orifice, reach the inside of the burner and interfere with the operation of the mechanism, particularly by obstructing the burner. With prior art conventional lighters this is prevented by providing a pivoting snuifer-shut-oif member, such as shown in US. Patent No. 2,943,471, issued July 5, 1960, to Stanley H. Newman.

Thus, the present invention includes the concept of arranging a retractable flap within the lighter against its upper wall, so as to prevent the entrance of dust when the lighter is not used and is in a dusty environment, for example, in the pocket of a smoker.

Various types of retractable flaps have heretofore been proposed. An elastic flap has been suggested which is rigidly connected wit-h an actuating push rod which may be moved and is located, at rest, in the face of the housing of the lighter in which the flame outlet orifice is arranged. There has also been proposed a pivoting flap driven by a push member which itself pivots around a pin located at the lower portion of a face of the lighter substantially at right angles to the face in which the flame outlet orifice is provided.

The actuating system, in accordance with the present invention, is suitable for a lighter using the standard knurled sparking wheel and a pivoted push member or finger piece. In addition, the standard cam slots and pins of the conventional spark wheel may also be utilized to impart motion to the closure system.

The present invention provides a control system for a retractable shut-off device consisting of a flap which is curved to conform to the portion of the wall of the housing in which the flame outlet orifice is provided. A driver is journaled to the shaft of the spark wheel and the flap, in turn, is pivoted to the driver so that on rotation of the spark wheel the flap is pulled clear of the flame orifice.

In the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the invention has been shown schematically by way of example, but it is not to be considered unduly limiting of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the lighter of FIGURE 1 incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic sectional side view of the lighter of FIGURE 2 along lines 3-3;

a lighter incorporating I upwardly. A pin support 21 FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary central section through a lighter particularly illustrating the shut-off system in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the flap of the shut-off system; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 are views of the driver in accordance with the arrows 6 and 7 of FIGURE 4, respectively.

Referring to the drawings and to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 in particular, a lighter 10, in accordance with the present invention, is shown. The lighter 10 comprises an outer case 12 which may be made of two sections'joined together in any suitable fashion. A flame orifice or opening 14 is provided on the upper surface of the case 12. A finger piece 16 is pivoted about a pin 18 and forms the upper surface of the lighter 10. A keeper spring 20 is also pivoted about pin 18 and urges the finger piece is provided for the spring .20 so that it may exert pressure on finger piece 16.

A fuel tank 22 for the liquefied gas is provided within the case 12. On the upper portion of the tank 22, a valve and burner combination 24 is fixed. The valve is of the plunger type (as shown in US Patent No. 3,096,636 issued July 9, 1963, to Stanley H. Newman) and is activated by raising the burner upwardly. A bifurcated valve lifter 26 is pivoted about a pin 27 and upon depressing the finger piece 16 the valve lifter 26 causes the burner and valve unit 24 to be activated releasing a stream of gas. At the same time the finger piece causes a spark wheel 28 to rotate against a flint 30 so that a field of sparks is thrown into the stream of gas from the burner and valve 24 causing the gas to ignite. This cooperative action of the finger piece, valve lifter and burner as well as the spark wheel and flint is well known in the prior art.

In the illustrated lighter a driver 34 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 32 of the spark wheel and a closure flap 36 is, in turn, pivotally mounted on the driver 34. Before the flame can escape through the opening 14, it is necessary that the flap 36 be withdrawn so that the opening 14 is uncovered.

'The flap 36 is advantageously curved at its forward portion to substantially conform with the configuration of the case 12 which is adjacent to it. At its rear portion the flap 36 is pivotally mounted in openings 38 which are provided in the driver 34.

The driver 34 and the flap 36 are illustrated in detail in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7. The relationship of the driver 34 and flap 36 to the spark wheel 28 and the flame opening 14 is best shown in FIGURE 4.

As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 in particular, the driver 34 is substantially U-shaped with a top web portion 40 and side flanges 42 and 44. The side flange 44 is also provided with a cam portion 46.

The flap 36 is provided with a pair of legs at one end thereof. One leg 48 has a lug 50 which turns inwardly and the other leg 52 has a lug 54 which also turns inwardly. The combination of the legs 48 and 52 and the lugs 50 and 54 form a C-s-haped structure. The lugs 50 and 54 are positioned in the openings 38 which are provided in the flanges 42 and 44 of the driver 34 and the leg 52 is also provided with a cam cutout 56.

The upper part of the flap 36 from which the legs 48 and 52 appended is a curved surface 60 which underlies the flame opening 14. The portion of the surface 60 which is adjacent to the legs 48 and 52 advantageously is of a lesser radius to facilitate retraction.

In actual operation the finger piece 16 is depressed and a lug 62 on the finger piece rides into a cam slot 64 on the web of the driver 34 causing it to rotate as well as the spark wheel 28. As the shaft 32 carrying the driver 34 and the spark wheel 28 is rotated, it moves in the direction of arrow A.

The finger piece, when it is depressed, moves downwardly in the direction of the arrow B and the driver 34 and the spark wheel 28 in accordance with the direction of arrow C.

The slot 64 provides a length of travel for the lug 62 so that the pivoted flap 36 is withdrawn from the opening 14 to the position shown by the phantom lines. If further pressure is placed on the finger piece 16, the spark wheel continues to turn causing the field of sparks to continue, thus insuring ignition.

When the finger piece 16 is released, it is carried back to an at rest position by the spring 20 and the flap 36 is carried by the driver 34 so that the opening 14 is again closed.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette lighter of the type using liquefied gas for a fuel and including an outer case with a flame opening therein, a burner and valve combination, a pivotally mounted finger piece, a valve lifter, a spark wheel mounted on a shaft and means on the finger piece to rotate said spark wheel, the improvement comprising a curved flap member contained wholly within the case and underlying the flame opening, a U-shaped drive-r pivotally mounted on the spark wheel shaft, a cam slot in said driver cooperatively associated with the means on the finger piece for rotating the spark wheel, said flap pivotally connected to the driver whereby said flap is withdrawn from its position underlying the flame opening when the driver is rotated about the spark wheel shaft.

2. In a cigarette lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein the flap includes a curved portion of lesser radius than the rest of said flap, said lesser radius portion being adjacent to the driver connection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,008 9/1956 Gruber 677.1 2,948,134 8/1960 Quercia 67--7.1 3,181,317 5/1965 Newman 67-'7.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 253,101 10/1912 Germany.

EDWARD 1. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CIGARETTE LIGHTER OF THE TYPE USING LIQUEFIED GAS FOR A FUEL AND INCLUDING AN OUTER CASE WITH A FLAME OPENING THEREIN, A BURNER AND VALVE COMBINATION, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FINGER PIECE, A VALVE LIFTER, A SPARK WHEEL MOUNTED ON A SHAFT AND MEANS ON THE FINGER PIECE TO ROTATE SAID SPARK WHEEL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CURVED FLAP MEMBER CONTAINED WHOLLY WITHIN THE CASE AND UNDERLYING THE FLAME OPENING, A U-SHAPED DRIVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE SPARK WHEEL SHAFT, A CAM SLOT IN SAID DRIVER COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEANS ON THE FINGER PIECE OF ROTATING THE SPARK WHEEL, SAID FLAP PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE DRIVER WHEREBY SAID FLAP IS WITHDRAWN FROM ITS POSITION UNDERLYING THE FLAME OPENING WHEN THE DRIVER IS ROTATED ABOUT THE SPARK WHEEL SHAFT. 